Tips for improving your body image

You may be struggling with your body image and it's making you anxious. Or you might have a diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). There are things to you can do to help yourself.

Not all our tips will work for you, everyone is different. But there may be some things you can do to make things easier.

What is different now is that I've learnt to recognise the triggers and act upon them. I look to the small things that make me feel better and get rid of what I know can be harmful for me.

Try to cope with negative thoughts about your body

These tips can help you identify negative thoughts about your body. And generate healthier thoughts. This can set you in the right direction for improving your relationship with your body.

Label your thinking style

Some people find it helpful to label their thoughts. They can then distance themselves from them. For example, "all or nothing thinking" where you see good or bad but nothing in between. Or "mind reading" where you jump to conclusions about what other people are thinking about you.

Challenge your thoughts

You could jot down your thoughts on your phone or on paper.

Try to rationalise these with evidence or facts that the thoughts aren't always the truth. For example:

• If you think everyone is staring at you count how many times people are staring at you.
• If you think "none of my friends will want to know me any more if I go out looking like this". Challenge this with "good friends enjoy being with me because they have a good time with me – not just because of how I look".

You can try listing your thoughts about your body and rating how much these disturb you. Focus on 1 thought to tackle and measure your progress.

I am now able to see that the intrusive thoughts I have are neither rational nor reality, but rather my BDD talking

Change how you look at yourself

If you have an unhealthy relationship with mirrors and reflective surfaces, you could try to change this by:

• Not avoiding mirrors entirely
• Not getting too close to the mirror
• Describing yourself in the mirror objectively instead of using judgmental language
• Broadening your attention to other aspects of your body, or other things in the environment, as opposed to your own appearance
• Setting yourself boundaries for how much time you can spend in front of a mirror

Changing how you would usually react to your triggers, such as a mirror, can help you change how you see yourself. It may also help you to develop positive ways to cope with it.

I allow myself just 10 minutes in front of the mirror every day before work

Distract yourself from obsessive body image thoughts

Distractions can help you to take your mind off your thoughts about your body. They can help to focus your mind on something else. And help you to resist doing compulsions such as looking in the mirror or picking at your skin.

• Do something you enjoy. It could be something creative such as crafts, exercise or going for a walk or watching a TV show. Any activity that helps you to focus on something other than your appearance can be helpful.
• Different things will work at different times, so think about what might work best for you.
• Try to bring your attention to the moment, when distracting yourself. If your attention goes back to your worries, try to gently re-focus on the present.
• Try not to wait until you feel 'ready' to distract yourself. When we're feeling distressed, the idea of distracting ourselves may feel impossible. Try making a start, even if you doubt it'll help.
• Take things slowly and try not to worry if you don't feel better at first.

If distracting yourself doesn't work at first, you could try to limit the time you spend focusing on your appearance. For example, setting aside only 30 minutes a day you can worry. Any worries outside of this time need to be delayed until the next day.

Beat has a list of distraction techniques, you could try. These are designed to distract you from difficult thoughts and feelings about your body. Our page on improving your mental wellbeing may also help.

You could try mindfulness as a way to distract yourself from the thoughts and stay present in the moment. See our pages on mindfulness for more information.

Try accepting who you are

Focusing on what's important to you, and less on appearance can help you to accept your body, how it looks or is built.

You could try to:

• Celebrate your successes. No matter how small they may seem, take time to praise yourself and notice what you did well. It could also help to remember past successes.
• Accept compliments. You could make a note of them to look over when you're feeling low or doubting yourself.
• Write a list of things you like about yourself. For example, you could include character traits, skills or experience. You could also include your beliefs or causes that matter to you. Or things you enjoy doing. You could ask other people for suggestions too. It's likely they see you differently to how you see yourself.
• Appreciate what your body can do for you. Give thanks to body parts and their function, as opposed to how they look.

Our tips for improving your self-esteem could also be useful for improving your body image.

We are all unique and all have fantastic traits and these factors are what make you, you. Never be ashamed of who you are and always live in the moment

Try not to compare your body to other people's

Some people with body dysmorphia find themselves comparing certain features of their body with other people the same age and sex. Or they compare the body feature with the way the same feature looked in the past.

Try to spot when, where and how often you compare yourself.

When you notice yourself comparing, try to broaden your attention to your environment. Or focus on the whole of a person's appearance, rather than just one feature.

The biggest act of rebellion is to like yourself, in spite of those voices telling you you’re not good enough

Connect with others

You might worry that people won't understand how you feel about your body. But talking about it may help you feel less lonely and more able to cope.

Connect with those around you

• Talk to someone you trust about how you feel. Find a quiet space to talk where you won't be interrupted. You could show them this information to help them understand. You might find it helpful to write your feelings down and then talk about this together.
• Tell people what you need from them. People may want to help but not know how. Try to be as open as you can about what you need. This might include helping you to resist compulsions or helping to distract you. Or giving you some time to yourself.
• Try to avoid asking for reassurance again and again. Asking for reassurance from others is a very common compulsion. It can be very difficult to resist in the moment, especially if you feel distressed. Instead of asking them for reassurance, try sharing that you're struggling with your thoughts about your body right now. Ask them to help distract you.
• Spend time with others. You might not feel ready to talk openly about thoughts about your body. But spending more time with friends and family may help you feel more comfortable around them. And in time, talk about your feelings.

Try peer-support groups for body dysmorphia

Support groups and peer support offer an opportunity to meet other people who also have body dysmorphia. This can help you to understand you're not alone. And you can be part of a support network that understands what you're going through.

Hearing about how other people have coped with similar feelings and experiences can make you feel less isolated.

• Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation has a list of support groups in the UK
• OCD Action's list of support groups includes some for BDD

Or contact Mind's Infoline or a local Mind to see what support there is in your area.

You can also access peer support online. Communities like Mind's Side by Side can be a good way to get support. Especially when you don't feel like seeing people face-to-face. Or if there aren't any groups nearby.

If I can give one piece of advice to my old self and anyone suffering with BDD it would be to talk to someone. Whether professional or not, ask someone three things they think is a good quality about you